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Entry to the USA: New Requirements from October 2006

Visa-free travel to the USA for British visitors

Information about requirements to enter the USA under the visa waiver programme follows, but we advise you to check the following web sites:

- US Embassy website, www.usembassy.org.uk
- The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s latest travel advice for the USA, at www.fco.gov.uk.
- The UK Passport office, www.ukpa.gov.uk.

VISA-FREE TRAVEL TO THE US FOR BRITISH VISITORS EXTENDED FOR A FURTHER YEAR

Press Release taken from The UK Passport Services Web site 16 June 2005. Read the complete article, and associated links at: (www.ukpa.gov.uk/press_160605.asp)

The US Department of Homeland Security announced, on 15 June, a one-year extension of its Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) to 26 October 2006.

VWP countries, including the UK, are required to have a biometric passport issuing system in place by 26 October 2006 in order to continue as members of the Programme and benefit from visa free travel to the US after that date.

The US also announced a requirement that all new passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 must contain a digital photo image to enable the holder to travel to the USA visa free. This does not affect the UK as we have been issuing digital passports since 1998.

This means that:

British citizens with machine-readable passports containing a digital photo image will not require a visa to visit the USA because they meet the criteria of the 26 October 2005 VWP deadline.

British citizens with machine-readable passports but without a digital photo will still be able to visit the USA visa free as their passport was issued before the 26 October 2005 deadline.

British citizens without a machine-readable passport must obtain a machine-readable passport or apply for a US visa before visiting the USA.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Passport Service (UKPS) welcome the US decision. It will now enable the UK to finalise the developments of our biometric programme and allows British visitors to continue to visit the US visa free.